470 Recent Ornithological Publications. 



as more diagnostic ; but the Professor appears to think that the 

 distinctness of the newly recognized form is well established. 



In the revived ' Kroyer's Tidsskrift/ Herr Fischer continues 

 his " Observations on the Birds of Denmark, especially as re- 

 gards Vendsyssel"*, the first part of which we before noticed 

 (Ibis, 1862, p, 382). The paper seems to be carefully drawn 

 up ; but the district does not present any great ornithological 

 novelty. Herr Fischer states that the Grey Partridge [Perdix 

 cinerea) is decreasing in numbers, a fact which he appears to 

 attribute to a method the poachers have of setting a spike in the 

 nests of this species. In consequence, the hen bird, being un- 

 able to brood, continues to lay eggs. A man who had himself 

 tried this cruel process, worthy of the country of the Vandals, 

 assured Herr Fischer of its truth, adding that he had at last 

 found the hen dead by the nest. The same author also con- 

 tributes a paper on the " Birds of Bornholm," chiefly remarkable 

 for a detailed account of the breeding of the Nutcracker {Nuci- 

 fraga caryocatactes) as observed there by himself and his friends, 

 one of whom. Pastor Theobald, has already given a short notice 

 on the subject, which will be found in the ' Proceedings of the 

 Zoological Society' for 1862, pp. 206-208. 



4. Italian Publications. 



Although we are always glad to welcome new contributors to 

 the literature of ornithology, it is difficult to give much en- 

 couragement to Signor Benvenuti's first attempts at the descrip- 

 tion of new species of birds. It will suffice to say that this 

 gentleman, who signs himself "Aiuto aggregato alia Cattedra 

 di Zoologia dei Vertebrati nel Real Museo di Fisica e Storia 

 Naturale di Firenze," sets to work to describe four Humming- 

 birds as new without ever having, as he himself acknowledges, 

 consulted Mr. Gould's Monograph of the group ! f This would 



* Nogle Jagttagelser over Danmarks Fugle, med saerligt hensyn til 

 Vendsyssel, af S. C. H. Fischer. 



t Descrizione di quattro nuove specie della famiglia dei Trochilidi pro- 

 venienti dalla Nuova Granata e di una nuova specie di Sylvia del Brasile, 

 di Enrico Benvenuti, &c. Firenze, 1863. 



